Premature Evaluation: Sonic Youth - The Eternal
When we caught up with Thurston Moore recently, he told us, "I think the Matador record shows us in an excited and newly liberated state of play." The John Fahey bedecked Matador album in question, The Eternal, the band's followup to the duskier, tauter Rather Ripped, is indeed a rollicking good time. When you stop to think about it, it's actually hard believing this is album 16, that the band's been around since 1981, and that the core's largely in (or close to, Steve) their 50s. They've had duds, yes, but since Murray Street, they seem revitalized, so the fact that The Eternal's good shouldn't be a surprise. It's more surprising the way they go about it.
Which is to say, with abandon. After a few chimed notes clattering together in that way Sonic Youth always pulls off, it's off to the races, an extended adrenaline rush. In case you were wondering, the album does indeed have heavy ass weirdo hooks. It also has those beautiful, chiming extended instrumental moments (that shiny, crisp, Daydream-y SY guitar sound can be so perfect). You've already heard the Yves Klein/Noise Nomads-saluting "Sacred Trickster." It's what opens the album and the overlap of the blue-obsessed French painter and Western Mass noisemakers is a good starting point for The Eternal and much of Sonic Youth's practice, a mix of punk grime and elegant art rock. It's the shortest track on the album, immediately stabbing its way into the 6-minute "Anti- Orgasm," a rollicking, sexy Thurston and Kim call and response: "Penetration / destroys the party / Violation / of the cosmic body / Do you understand / The problem? Anti-war / is Anti-orgasm." And then they grunt a bunch. The final half of the song's instrumental (ecstatic, blistering roughness to spacious pristine), as if they're too busy smoking post-coital cigarettes to step to the microphone. The mood shifts a bit with the Beat-homaging "Leaky Lifeboat (For Gregory Corso)." The explanation:
The NYC beat poet Gregory Corso once referred to life on Earth as a leaky lifeboat. This tune expounds on this rumination.
The Eternal offers a good mix of Lee, Thurston, and Kim sung songs. We just saw them looking energized and lithe in their performance of Ranaldo's "What We Know" on Jools Holland. As noted then, Lee's songs conjure a blustery urban darkness; on ""Walkin Blue," though, he feels almost cuddly ... from tour guide to confidant: "Hey now, what's the news I heard / You've been seen walking blue / I know we're all confused, it's true / I know you feel the same way" and "I'm here to let you know all we need to do / is just to just let go," etc. Thanks, man. Throughout, The Eternal is more jagged than Rather Ripped. "Poison Arrow" opens with a minute plus of dagger chops before Thurston's calming voice enters the picture. That's sort of the odd, perhaps unconscious, theme here: A kind of paternal vibe emerges, even when Kim's asking to be levitated and howling about wanting to see you shiver and hear you quiver in the excellently raw "Calming The Snake."
Musically, the band remains inventive and fluid with their strange agglomerations: The way "Malibu Gas Station" opens with a crystalline, pensive guitar pondering before pausing to find the band strutting into a bouncier direction and, ultimately, a Confusion Is Sex noise explosion (then back again). And, as always, from the Fahey artwork to "Thunderclap For Bobby Pyn" to "No Way"'s No Wave and Wipers homaging, and "Burning Shame"'s tribute to Fred "Sonic" Smith, Sonic Youth albums remain a great history lesson for the youngsters (i.e. look up the names if you don't know them).
As quickly as The Eternal begins, it goes out slow and teasingly with the album's longest track "Massage The History," a whispery, slinky, almost 10-minute let's go back to bed outro. You get the slow build, the ebbs and flows (a diamond sea), the feedback dynamics, the thoughts that "Not everyone makes it to the other side" and "Not everyone makes it out alive." In "Pyn," Moore pays homage to Darby Crash with his "you did not fade from noise meditation." Right on. Sonic Youth haven't either, but more impressively, they didn't kill themselves at 22, are still going strong after living twice as long as Crash. An early death is one way to achieve punk rock immortality, surely. Sonic Youth's long and varied path might be littered with career missteps, but in the end, their arrival at the eternal (even with our bad punning) is clearly preferable.
The Eternal is out 6/9 via Matador.
Posted at 6:18 PM in Premature Evaluation
Tags: Sonic Youth
Ultimate crap. This band died after Washing Machine. But I understand them, everyone needs to make some money for living. But they can tour and get money without having the need to release crap like this. I still love you guys. :(
Score = -139
do you even have a reason for not liking it? or is "ultimate crap" the best critique you can give?
Score = 20
Do you want a reason? Ok here are some:
1. The sound of the whole record is very uninspired, bland and boring.
2. There are very little or almost no good melodies in the songs
3. There is no excitement in the noisy parts of songs
4. In conclusion: there are no good tunes, they can't write good songs anymore, it all sounds calculated and uninspired.
Pavement would probably sound like this (bland, boring, lifeless) if they had not quit after Terror Twilight. I am glad they did.
Score = -70
Just to reiterate, Alex asked:
"do you even have a reason for not liking it? or is "ultimate crap" the best critique you can give?
Posted by: alex in reply to alvinrow's comment at 04/30/09 7:21 PM | Reply"
Score = 1
Boo Hoo, go masturbate to your Katy Perry pinup.
Score = -1
i like their recent experimental stuff but i agree they should stop releasing these boring albums before they ruin their legacy entirely.
Score = -39
tHEY NEDD TO STOP RELSING THOSE AWFUL ALBUMS SANGIT GOOFIN' JUST HAS THEM BY THERE PUPET STRNGS HANG UP THE TOWL UR RUINING MY TEEN YEAR EXPERIENCE
Score = -35
Do they need to stop releasing them or do you need to stop listening to // bitching about them?
This is a trick question.
Score = 3
This new album is fantastic, it's amazing how they haven't reached their expiry date after all these years.
Score = 12
Why would someone who liked Washing Machine not like Murray Street??
Score = 22
The album fucking destroys. It's awesome. I would like to see any one of you critical dildos remain that rad and put out such high original quality after that many years. Get bent, the album is awesome. You are just looking for a reason to complain. Blah blah blah it's not Washing Machine. Way to live in the past. I just puked on my computer....thanks. Love, Dave.
Score = 18
I just listened to the new album at the gym and instananeously loved it. I felt it had a great sense of urgancy. It's very much a Lee Ronaldo album, but there is nothing wrong with that. I was surprised by the consistency in tempo and pace of each track -- Rather Ripped and Sonic Nurse had moments where they'd slip into a silent lull but I feel that it's not until the very end that SY lay off the gas pedal. They'll never let me down.
Score = 10
Sonic Youth died long ago...
Score = -37
On the contrary, I believe they are still going quite strong.
Score = 12
Great album. Thus far, one of the best of the year.
Score = 8
I think the band is on a bit of a resurgence lately. They hit a valley and now they are peaking again.
Score = 7
Well they're sure no Psychedelic Horseshit...
Just kidding. I love Sonic Youth. Looking forward to hearing this album.
Score = 8
at the end of the day you can gripe and moan and be all "blah blah boring blah blah old" but this album is like "GUITARRRRRZ!" and yr like "damn i just got BURNT" and this album is like "yeah YA BURNT". in other words i fucking love this record.
Score = 16
the last of the LES titans - 95% of artists never make past album #2. Album 16? That's called talent - the other 5% that's called 15 minutes and a PR budget.
Score = 7
Wow, so many hardcore fanboys here. Too bad.
Anyway, today SY does not sound any better than Psychedelic Horseshit and band from that scene. That is just embarrassing for them.
Score = -32
did you ever think that all those bands sound like Sonic Youth? and unfortunately not as good? SY never stopped and never tried to sound like any new shit, they've continued with their complicated sound, their artsy ventures, not everything has been successful but anybody that talks shit about them on a miserable music blog has no love for music or themselves, no respect, no sense of history or what's good or not. I've loved them and hated them througout the years, but i seriously think to some artists we need to hold a different set of rules for, Dinosaur Jr, Pixies, Sonic Youth, Pavement. You just can't talk shit about pioneers when you yourself haven't done crap, its ok for the Psychodelic Horsecraps and the Wavves and Vivian DumDums, but not the heroes.
Score = 10
...the fuck are you talking about? have you even listened to the new songs? i get the feeling that you're hating on SY strictly because you get a hard-on from being snooty. let me guess, you think radiohead totally "died" after ok computer and everything they've done in the last 10 years has been uninspired and calculated too?
Score = 4
I'm so so on the new album, I wasnt a huge fan of Ripped either, but anyone that disses Murray Street or Sonic Nurse is crazy. Those are some of the best in their catalog.
Score = 3
Agreed on Sonic Nurse: it just has such a great sound, and I love the way the songs build.
I listened through this album yesterday on a drive and it was pretty good, there were some songs that grabbed me and a few more that kind of went in-one-ear-out-the-other. "Poison Arrow" and "What We Know" are terrific. The edges are a lot rougher than I expected, though I kind of missed the boat somehow on Rather Ripped so maybe it's a more logical progression than I'm thinking.
So far I haven't enjoyed that much this year so I'm glad to have something to jam this summer.
Score = 1
where is my free latte coupon..? sonic assholes.
Score = -2
Did you not Buy Early Get Now?
Score = 3
Nothing they ever do could top Daydreeam Nation. Best album of the 1980's.
Score = -12
^ obligatory Daydream comparison
Score = 16
every sonic youth album would be a million times better if kim gordan would just shut her mouth.
Score = -29
every music blog message board would be a million times better if people like you would just shut their mouths.
Score = 14
it might also be better if you could spell her name right, and maybe keep those comments to yourself
Score = 14
yo no mention of mark ibold, he rules
Score = 11
agreed, mark ibold is the man. stoked for this album.
Score = 4
"Anti war is anti orgasm". I'm sold.
Score = 4
Why are some of you surprised SY has been around for so long? ? I'm sure some of you out there figured they were just another 90s "grunge" band that would just fade away along with the flannel. As a fan, I'm glad to see they're still making music and enjoying playing to their fans. Sure they've made some good and some not-so-good albums in the past but even Dylan had a resurgence in the latter part of his carreer. For those comparing The Eternal to other "better" SY stuff, I don't understand how they are quick to judge new music based on a few listens. Thurston & Kim aren't going anywhere kids. The Matador years have just begun.
Score = 7
I love the new album. Love it. Top 3 of the year so far.
Score = 1
I'm impressed with how SY constantly evolve their sounds. Sure, SY doesn't radically alter the frame work of their music with each records, but, each record is part of a progression.
The Eternal recalls past efforts (specifically NYG & F, A Thousand Leaves and elements from the Murray Street/Nurse albums) but it also has a much rougher, riff based sound. I'm really digging this record. I can't wait to see what they do next.
All you haters are just being contrary. Your infantile need to be "different" is incredibly transparent.
Score = 2
new album is good. the best they have done since "washing machine" (together with "sonic nurse")
they still kick ass live.
the whining comments here are pathetic.
Score = 1
It is any secret that:
ranters against Kim Gordon = the generally uninterested + the unlikely to ever be willingly engaged and challenged by anything
And that the people who are universally liked win American Idol.
Score = 1
I love it. I won't buy a CD... but it is the first in a long time that has made me want to add to my vinyl SY collection. The 80s SY is almost another band to me. I don't even associate Goo with the 80s stuff (but if you've heard the demo version of the album, it is much closer in sound and design to "sister").
The 90s SY had its moments, but it was pretty dry for me after Washing Machine except for "Hits of Sunshine" on 1000 leaves. I like some of the experimental stuff too, but I think generally they are just releasing too much and not focusing enough on each release. But I really liked Murray Street, couldn't get into Sonic Nurse or Rather Ripped though (I'll have to revisit).
The Eternal feels new and like a new beginning as well. I'm totally loving it. It's inspired. And has anyone else downloaded the "fake" version that ends with the 25 minute version of Diamond Sea. I hadn't heard a lot of the stuff on it and was wondering what it was and who created it. The whole moment of this release feels like a point where the band enters a new era. Perhaps its a signal that we are all entering a new era of music and art after the nightmarish past 15 years that have seemed so drab and uninspired (generally speaking).
Score = 2
I think this album is not exactly their best, but it is continuing on in the tradition that they have set forth on albums like Murray Street, Sonic Nurse and definitely Rather Ripped. I think it is awesome that they are making albums like this now instead of sticking with what they were doing on A Thousand Leaves and NYC Ghosts and Flowers.
They go through periods of growth about every 3 or 4 albums (Experimental Jet Set..... was an exception). I think they are leveling out and getting ready to begin another process of evolution. I look forward to seeing what they do next, but I love this album.
Score = 1
listen your panda bear crap
the sonic hater are just being contrary poseurs indie boys they are trying hard to be diferent
Score = -1
Mu favorite Sonic Youth since a long time
Score = 1
How I love this band! Even if people don't like it, they always release different kinds of albums. And I kind of get it; why would you want to release the same stuff over and over? I mean, it works for some artists (won't drop any names) but SY has never been like other bands. I really like that they play what they like, not what the labels want from them, wich for me it's really refreshing. If i want to listen to stuff like "Washing Machine", "Bad Moon Rising" or "Daydream Nation", I pop those albums. I don't want the same music recorded again and again. Does it make sense? You're not gonna like everything they release, but you gotta give it to a band that keeps their guitars strangely tuned and their songs fresh. Anyway...
Score = 0
I'm sorry, but the new album IS boring, bland, and uninspired. Theres only one good track -- Antenna -- and it is stunningly good, but the rest of it is mediocre at best. I agree that they should just tour and keep releasing their experimental stuff, cause The Eternal is really boring. (Loved Rather Ripped, though; I think thats the best stuff they've done since peaking in the mid to late 80s).
Score = -1
no point in comparing the eternal to previous SY albums...in fact each new album should be taken as it is...there's always somethin new and fresh on each release (there's always some low points as well)...so enjoy it if you enjoy it and salute one of the most innovative bands of modern times
Score = 0
truth is - i keep wanting to dislike their releases but really everything AFTER o'rourke signed on (and then left) is pretty solid. good groove, good noise, good thing. but i understand it's fashionable to hate. there's a lot to be said for longevity.
Score = 0